Control for apparatus for dispensing compressed fluid in pulses



Dec- 22 1953 G. J. HECKMAN ET AL CONTROL FOR APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING COMPRESSED FLUID IN PULSES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 1, 1952 INVENTORS, Geo ye J/fchaarl arid Ida/0rd M/zerwz'c;

BY $471M ATTORNEYS Dec. 22, 1953 Filed July 1, 1952 G. J. HECKMAN ET AL CONTROL FOR APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING COMPRESSED FLUID IN PULSES I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 BYd g JM.

ATTORNEYS Dec. 22, 1953 G. .J. HECKMAN ET AL 2,653,310

CONTROL FOR APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING COMPRESSED FLUID IN PULSES Filed July 1, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 uuuuuuuumu VIII/I/IlfI/I/ VII W BYz M ATT ENEYS 1953 G. J. HECKMAN ET AL 2,663,310

CONTROL FOR APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING COMPRESSED FLUID IN PULSES Filed July 1, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 a /i/ INVENTORS, 6': e :Zficlmra and J5 ilZzl/M/lernia,

M44, 4, MM.

ATTORNEYS Pate nted Dec. 22, 1 953 UFFICE ING COMPRESSED FLUID IN PULSES tion of Massahusetts shown in Fig. l, which housing is fixed to the upper end of a hollow pedestal 2. Outside the housing is a hand crank 3, adapted to be turned to set the apparatus for the pressure to which a tire is to be inflated. Such pressure is shown by an indicator which is visible through a window 4 in the housing. Also located outside the housing is a hook 5, adapted to support the dispensing hose 6, when not in use, and adapted to move under the weight of the hose, as will later appear, to effect certain functions. One end of this hose is connected to an outlet fitting I, fixed to the base of the housing I. The other end of the hose carries the usual chuck 8 for attachment to the tire to be serviced.

Referring next to Fig. 3, there is shown an apparatus, which is generally like that of said patent, except for certain improvements to be later described, and which is adapted for dispensing compressed air in pulses through hose 6 to a pneumatic tire. A conduit 9, which is adapted for connection to a storage tank (not shown) of air under pressure and which may extend upwardly through the hollow pedestal 2, is connected to the inlet of a valve casing I0, containing a valve I I, yieldingly held in closed position by a spring I2. This casing I has an exteriorly-threaded portion which passes through a side wall of a hollow housing I3 and is clamped thereto by a pair of nuts I4. The housing I3 is integral with r and upstands from a circular base I 5. The valve II has a stem I6 which extends out of casing I0 through a suitable stuffing box into the interior of housing I3. The latter is normally closed by a thin plate H (see Fig. held in place by a thumb nut I8 threaded on a stud I9, fixed to the rear wall of housing I3.

This stud I9 (Fig. 3) also serves as the fulcrum of a lever 20, which is connected at a point slightly below the fulcrum by a link 2I to the valve stem I6. The lower end of this lever is movable between two stop pins 22 and 23 and, when the valve II is closed, the lever is held against the stop pin 22. The lower end of lever has fixed thereto a pin 24, which extends through a hole 24' in the back wall of housing I3 for purposes to be later described. The outlet of valve casing I0 is connected by a conduit 25, a T 2'6 and a conduit 21 to the described outlet fitting I, which is clamped by a nut 28 to a member 23, which forms the base of outer housing I and which is fixed as indicated in the upper end of pedestal 2. The dispensing conduit therefore includes the conduit 25, T 26, conduit 21, outlet fitting I, hose 6 and the chuck 8, which closes the outer end of the dispensing conduit except when the chuck is applied to the valve stem of the tire to be serviced.

The valve II is actuated by av spring-opposed fluid-pressure motor which includes a diaphragm 30, marginally clamped, as indicated, between the described base I5 and a cup-like casing 3|. The latter is connected to the branch of the described T 26 and contains the usual timer valve, which is best shown in Fig. 9. A sleeve 32, fixed in the bore of the branch of T 26, has upper and lower shoulders 33 and 34, respectively, in its bore. The timing valve is formed on the upper end of a smaller sleeve 36 located in sleeve 32 between the shoulders 33 and 34 and normally resting on the lower shoulder 34. The valve 35 has a restricted orifice 31 therethrough. With valve 35 open and the lower end of its sleeve 35 resting on the lower shoulder 34, air can flow freely out of the cup 3|. However, when air is admitted hole in the base 55. tension of spring 38 and the downward force apto the T 26, it forces the valve 35 against its seat and compels all the air to pass through the restricted passage 31, wherefore it takes a substantial time for enough air to enter the cup to press the diaphragm 30 upwardly.

The diaphragm 38 (Fig. 3) is moved downwardly by means of a loading spring 38, located in the upper part of housing I3 and interconnecting the upper end of the long upstanding arm 39 of a bell crank to the inner end of a screw 40. The other end of this screw carries a nut 4|, formed in the hub of the described hand crank 3 and bearing against the outer face of a side wall of the housing I3. The bell crank is fulcrumed on a pin 42 fixed in lugs 43 upstanding from the top of the base I5; The short and horizontal arm 54 of the bell crank bears on the upper end of a pin 45 which is fixed to a disk it on diaphragm 3t and which extends through a By turning crank 3, the

plied to diaphragm 33 can be adjusted as desired.

The bell crank is arranged to move lever 29 and the valve I! with a snap action by the following means. Pivotally connected to the upper end of lever 28 at 3? are a pair of short links 45. In the lever is a hole 39; and a pin 59, which pivotally connects the lower ends of the two links 48 to one end of an arm 5|, has an end that extends into hole 53. The latter is larger in diameter than the pin 55, so that the pin is free to move a short distance limited by its abutment with the walls of the hole as stops. A slight swinging movement of links 48 is thus permitted. The arm 5! extends through a slot 52 in the upstanding arm 39 of the bell crank and has a V-shaped point 53, adapted to coact with a roller 54, mounted on the arm 39 and located in slot 52. A. spring connects arm 5| to the stop pin 22 and yieldingly holds the arm in engagement with the roller. The parts are shown in their normal rest positions, assuming the dispensing conduit to be filled with compressed air. The valve ii is closed. When the chuck 8 is applied to the stem of a tire, the pressure in the dispensing conduit and diaphragm chamber will decrease, causing spring 38 to move the bell crank counterclockwise, carrying roll 55 along the right hand side of the V-shaped point 53 until it crosses. the point, whereupon spring 55 will pull arm 5i downwardly and by coaction with the roll cause lever 25 to he suddenly swung clockwise to open valve II. Compressed air will then be admitted through the valve II, pipe 25, T 25 and into the cup-like casin BI, slowly raising the diaphragm 35. The bell crank moves clockwise, stretching spring 38 and the roll 54 rides along the left handside of the V-shaped point 53. When the rollerpasses the point, spring 55 will pull the armdownwardly causing the right hand side of thev-shaped point to ride down on the roll and force the arm 5i suddenly to the left, thus rock-- ing lever 25 counterclockwise to close valve I I.

Fixed, as indicated in Fig. 2, to the front wait of housing I3 is a bell 56 and pivoted at 51 to such wall is a bell crank having an arm 58 adapted to be engaged by the described pin 24' and an arm 59 adapted to tap the bell 56. The pin 24, which moves with valve lever 20, extends through the hole 24 in the housing I3 that af fords freedom for the necessary movement of the pm.

The pressure for which the apparatus is set, is indicated by two number wheels GI and 62 (Figs.

. can swing into and out of the path of the actuations on latten oute sa 1.1 2.4 I s 2 and 5? wh c a e 2 ited tn m sts on a she-i? '93 j lflt t en s s it if U'- s'haip jedbr.aclt he i fi h h li W v.l to 9 the sual manner, are tn 3. The 'unitsfwhe'el" has? a gear .55, which meshes'witha pinion "66 fixed fine end ofa shaft 67,"rotatab1S mouhtedina bracket 5,8 fixed lever to be manually veg clockwise beto' said'iront Wall. Fixed on 't othnend of y nd the" p itign tdwhi'ch" automatically shaft 67' is a pinion 69 which inshes'with a gear nioved'by springjfvvh; the hose 6 is removed '10 fixed on the nut 41 isfo'peiated b ajnk ior'ialinovementof the 3. The tens'whel 62 is turned bythe .wfheelbl the part 85 oflever 82 one tenth of a revolution iat'the end of each ay fromloasing f3 from revolution of the wheel iseflectedin p "shown'in'FigI 6 to'the the usual manner by'thelusualtransfergear II I position "s own 1 g .j,'theifeby engaging one which is fixed on a counter sheen, 'inountjed in a in fifiofa bell .cranklefzer and inoving" the latbracket 85. 'Thisg'eaf'lf has'a Tportionlwhich ter tdcarry its other arm against the pin 24 meshes with a segmental gear 13 skews to hold'it a'nfd the l ve'ijzo the position b'er wheel 6| andano'ther erms" 'whifch meshes which Tvalve" l l is'jdpen. bell crank lever is with a gear L3 'fiXedto numberwheel The pivotally mounted 3.11788 orig. post 89 fixed to number wheels are'nianuallv shiftableaxially base [5. .Thbell crank lever isnormally held to the left, as viewed in Big. 2, for settlingpurinthe Fig. iipositioiib y means of a spring 89'. poses. Such.movement disengages the number Tb yieldingly ret n ho h ok, lever 16 in t e m sh a 1' r m. thei estate fi iv: h 1 ank P ame-P s detem me m and"?! a ena es hem o be 5 9 (Fig- 9 i ie the Wast 7 1 th tu d for ali rati n purpos A pr n P m 9 .5 W 3 99! On 3? 9 el' Par 9 a Shaft ly hdfds 't n m whe s he s erh fist l s a tep to b in theirillustrated positions it wmeh they will ga e by th e e bas 15 .90 le e i be turnedlwhenever cranks is turned. The drive o d om. th f pqs n shown to he n ris, of'c'ourse', reversib1eT"The gar'ingbetvfeen the 0 ma era ing Past es: I 5? Spring ,9 is no bl crank and number wheels is made such that these to 319?? V?! e gglfi megi P95 wheels indicate in pounds the pressure for "which H0 HQWWQ il v the loading spring 38"has been'fset by turning b m me Pi mama era e a That'is tentholf are d ut on or wh n iiiinjdicates a hange'bf one oun s/ reat r; inch'in the t'ens'ior'iof spring 38. 'The inner housing i3 is suitably supported from the outer housing as by means of the Z shaped bracket '35 (Figs. 2'and :5)" and the screws indicated. The housing .l is preferably made in separable sections, as shown in Fig. 5, which are readily removable to allow access to the front or the back of the inner housing '13 as required. hose hook 5 is arranged to move under the weight of the hose 6; suspended thereon and hold the valve H in closed position. As shown in Fig. e, the hook 5 is fixed to an arm of a lever, which is pivoted intermediate its ends on a pin :i'i; mounted at its ends in the spacedupstanding arms of a bracket 18, fixed to the base 95 fishes- -while 29 01. housing i. A spring 79 acts between this the shimmer z back fidvfdrth with base and arm 76 tending to hold the latter in tff ffsmbved between a position such as to allow valve I I to open. This ao s an fi hg; is lever has an upturned arm with n n theni'novdfarenoug "ebetweenthe winended slot therein to receive a roll Bl carried by 55 w "and h -n55. Whig 31 h w v' the forked lower end of a lever 82, pivoted intert 5 95 1 'i, v 5 kl b j mediate its ends a i 3 to breaks? 59. tionfithe .shsee'r 2 0 s up at enough to lie fixed to casing 3|- Th upper nd Of W6? ,3? between thawinddw ancl thfe'nuiiib'er wheels has a laterally-turned part (Fig. 2); which 00 5 d 52 th gy bfi g ng e ile indi V hutter my also have ating arm 58 of the bell clapper, as best shown marked on it o 3 B F n Tank? in '6. When moved into the path of arm m h h e 1 'h wi be 58, it prevents movement of this arm to the right di ii y hr ug ags; fwh i' th h tt as Vi wed in Fi s. 2 and 6 and t s v me o 05 is in it supperinost memo r ,bncaimg posithe pin 24 in the same direction, thereby prertio nf" m movement Of the a e ve "w mportant feature, of this invention condirection necessary to cause opening of va e sists in improvingithe acci racy of the timing of 'I I. The pin 25 is held against movement in the th pulses of compressed. a s j to i other direction by the stop pin 22 against which 7 so that h a m e nearly uniform in a the lever 20 abuts when valve 1 l' When tion, andin shortening the pulses to enable more h 1 6 is m v d r m 0 K *5, Bi li g T a cu te fl tion to h lie ss lefc a lvvv h t will move lever 32 and'it's arm .85 into pesition low pressure tires now commonly ,iised. These to release pin 24 for flee mo "ment. As viewed 'res its are s ecilred p 'ng a fl elimiting 1. 1. jF the ar .85

2 that; h 4 1 Pm sure 9f fie it' i bl o 10 bybrailk g5 p e apparatus d to be 1n :firll anlc no on. To effect e siilt, ii ivehtlohpipv desiql' the hose 9.? ssan 4) connected to and exte of the conduit between the T '26 and the entrance end of hose 6. This orifice has been shown at 96 (Fig. 8) in the outlet fitting 1 to which the entrance end of hose 6 is connected.

The cross sectional area of this orifice, in this particular example, is .0465". The flow-limit ing restricted orifice $31 in the timer valve has a cross sectional area of .031", in this particular example. The orifice 96 approximates in area that of the restricted orifice in the stem of a standard tire valve. This orifice 96 is preferably somewhat larger in area than the orifice 3'! in the timer valve. In the operation of the usual compressed-air service apparatus, such for example as that of the above-identified patent, the restricted passage in the tire valve cooperates with the restrictedpassage 31 in the timer valve to govern the duration of the pulses of compressed air dispensed to the tire. There is no restriction such as 96. In the usual operation, when the main valve i l opens, air flows from the hose 5 into the tire at a rate which is limited by the size of the orifice in the tire valve. Pressure builds up rapidly in the discharge conduit, in-

cluding the hose, because the rate of outflow to the tire is restricted. The timer valve 35 is lifted to its seat by the initial rush of air and thereafter the rate of flow into the diaphragm chamber is controlled by the size of orifice 31. Air flows into the tire at a greater rate than into the diaphragm chamber because the restricted orifice in the tire valve is larger than the orifice 31 in the timer valve. As the pressure on the diaphragm 30 increases sufiiciently, the main valve II is caused to close with a snap action, cutting off the flow. The pressures in the tire, in the discharge conduit and in the diaphragm chamber then equalize, which lowers the pressure in the diaphragm chamber, causing the main valve H to open and admit another pulse of air. This operation of opening and closing valve ll continues until the tire is inflated to such an extent that the pressure in the diaphragm chamber will not drop enough to cause opening of the mainvalve.

The difficulty with the usual apparatus, referred to, is that the hose is included between the flow-limiting orifice in the tire valve and the timer valve 35. The hose is a variable factor because, being elastic, it is extensible and exp-ansible. The degree of elasticity of the hose will vary with its age. Changes in the timing of the pulses occur because of the variations in the volume of the hose. As a hose ages, its elasticity will change and cause a change in the length of the pulse. Substitution of a hose of one length for another will sometimes effect a change. Thus, because of the hose close uniformity in the duration of the pulses cannot be had.

This invention overcomes the difficulty by providing the restricted orifice 96 in a relatively inelastic part of the discharge conduit. The timing is then controlled by this orifice 96 instead of by the orifice in the tire valve and uniformity in the duration of the pulses is thus insured. Any changes that occur in the hose will not affect the timing. Also, the volume of the metering portion of the system, that is, that portion between the main valve II, and the two flowlimiting orifices 3'! and 96, has been reduced as well as made fixed. As a result, a speedier action can be had and'the pulses thereby made of shorter duration and smaller pressure increments which is very desirable in the inflation of modern low-pressure-tires. The apparatus of this invention inflates the tire by pulses of from .5 to .75 p. s. i., as against the prior art apparatus in which the pulses are from 1.5 to 2 p. s. i. In practice, the present apparatus will inflate a tire with close accuracy and the variation is never more than .5 p. s. i., and often much less. With a tire calling for 25 p. s. i. inflation, the prior art apparatus varying by as much as 2.5 p. s. i., can result in a 10% error of over or under inflation while the apparatus of this invention, the maximum error is 2 /2 Another disadvantage with the long pulse of the prior art apparatus is that of the so-called after pulse, which occurs when a tire has been inflated close but not quite to the desired pressure and the main valve ll opens to give an additional pulse, that may result in over inflation to as much as 2 p. s. i. With the materially shortened and smaller pulses, over inflation seldom occurs and, if and when it does, it is so small in degree as to be negligible.

The invention thus provides an improved compressed-air servicing apparatus, which is particularly useful in the inflation of low pressure tires and which is characterized by a small and fixed volume in the metering portion of the discharge conduit, eliminating therefrom the volume of the hose and resulting in uniform short pulses which result in close accuracy of inflation.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus for dispensing compressed fluid in pulses through a dispensing conduit, which has a first and relatively inexpansible section and a second flexible and relatively expansible terminal section for connection to a receiver to be serviced, and wherein the flow through the conduit is started and stopped by a valve in the first section of'the conduit that is opened and closed by a spring-opposed fluid-pressure motor, having a chamber connected by a single and relatively inexpansible third conduit section to the first conduit section between said firstnamed valve and the second conduit section, and wherein a timing valve located in said third conduit section has a flow-limiting orifice of restricted cross sectional area therethrough enabling flow through the timing valve when closed, the improvement which consists in providing a second flow-limiting orifice of restricted cross sectional area in the first conduit section between said third and second conduit sections, whereby the duration of the pulses is controlled by two orifices which are interconnected by rela-- tively inexpansible sections of the dispensing conduit.

2. The combination, as claimed in claim 1, in which the second fiowlimiting orifice is larger in cross sectional area than the first flow-limiting orifice.

3. In apparatus for dispensing compressed fluid in pulses through a dispensing conduit, including a flexible hos-e, of the type wherein a valve in the conduit is opened and closed by a fluidpressure motor responsive to the conduit pressure and having a' loading spring, the pressure of which is variable by manually-operated means, connected to actuate an indicator, showing the pressure for which the spring is set, and a hosehook lever, which is movable from a first to a second position, accordingly as the weight of said hose is or is not imposed thereon, operates a member which holds said valve closed when the lever is in its first position; the improvement consisting of yieldable means for arresting said lever in its second position when moved thereto from its first position, said means being yieldable by manual pressure on the lever to enable it to be moved beyond the second position to a third position, and a member connected to and movable by said lever, when moved from its second to its third position, to hold said valve in open position against the action of said motor.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 3, in

which a shutter is connected to said hose-hook 10 Number lever to be moved thereby from a position in which it conceals the indications of said indicator when the lever is in its third position to positions 10 in which it does not conceal said indications when the lever is in its second and first positions.

GEORGE J. HECKMAN. EDWARD M. PATERWIC.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,719,836 Fisher July 9, 1929 1,814,206 Donkin July 14, 1931 1,974,853 Ragan Sept. 25, 1934 

